


Pictures and Words

by KaytiKazoo



Series: I Follow Your Steps with My Feet [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Leo Fitz is Holden Radcliffe's Son, Photo Shoots, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:14:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28392969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaytiKazoo/pseuds/KaytiKazoo
Summary: Holden and Leo Radcliffe are awful at photos, and the photographer is struggling.
Relationships: Leo Fitz & Holden Radcliffe, Leo Fitz's Mother/Holden Radcliffe, Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons
Series: I Follow Your Steps with My Feet [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2079135
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	Pictures and Words

“Leo, Holden, over here,” Abi called, waving them towards the area set off to the side for the photographer. Jemma straightened his suit jacket before he left her side,  _ his wife’s _ side. He smiled at her, taking her in again, leaving a kiss on her cheek. It was hard to draw his eyes away from her, the way the sunlight caught the silver and jewels in her hair, the glow along her cheeks, the slight shine to her lips from the gloss he knew Daisy had on her person for between photo touch-ups. She was so beautiful, and he couldn’t imagine anyone else in her shoes that day. 

“You should go before your mum drags you over by your tie,” Jemma said. 

“Probably,” he replied, but he couldn’t make his way over to them just yet. “One more kiss, Mrs. Simmons-Radcliffe?” 

“Oh, fine.” 

He leaned in and kissed her, lips lingering on hers. 

“Now, go on before your mum gets cross.” 

“Yes, darling.” 

He walked over to his mum against the corner of the rustic venue that had been set up for photos where Leo and Jemma had just gotten done with their bride and groom photos. 

“There you are. My handsome boy.” 

Abi pressed her hands into Leo’s cheeks the way she always had, squishing them slightly. 

“I’m glad you decided to trim your beard. You look so good.” 

“Jemma suggested it,” Leo said, “and I promised I’d do anything to make today easier on her.” 

“You’re a good boy. Now, where’s your father?” 

“I’m right here, don’t worry,” Holden said, trotting up to them, a half-empty champagne glass in one hand. Leo hadn’t seen him slip into the reception to grab a glass, but he had been wrapped up in Jemma’s gorgeous eyes, and bright smile for a while. 

“Oh, give me that,” Abi scolded gently, taking the glass from him. “You and Leo are due for your photos. Now, listen, I know you’re really bad at photoshoots, but you have to at least try.” 

“I’m not that bad at photoshoots,” Holden protested. 

“You are. I love you, but you are. Now, go stand by your son.” 

Leo watched as his father crossed in front of the camera and stood next to Leo, putting his hands in his pockets awkwardly. 

“Okay,” the photographer immediately said, “don’t freeze up. Take your hands out of your pockets, and just, act natural.” 

Abi laughed, snorting a little. 

“Good luck with that.” 

“I can take a good photo, Abigail,” Holden complained. 

“Our own wedding photos beg to differ, Holden.” 

“Our wedding photos are not that bad.” 

“They are,” Leo said, looking at his father. 

“Eh, what do you know about it? You were five when we got married; half of the pictures of you from our wedding were with your finger up your nose.” 

“I have eyes, Da,” Leo replied, laughing. “And I’ve seen a lot of incriminating photos of you at that age, too.” 

“Okay, look here,” the photographer called, and they both turned to look at the camera. He snapped a few photos of them. He made a noise behind the camera, one of frustration and disbelief. 

“I told you,” Abigail said, triumphant. 

“It’s okay, we’ll try something else. A different pose. Holden, could you angle your back to Leo’s?” 

Holden adjusted himself to follow instructions. 

“Okay, good. Leo, look here,” the photographer said, and he did, but the photographer didn’t seem pleased as he took several shots of them. “Could you two try looking like you don’t hate each other? Try smiling.” 

“Yeah, good luck with  _ that _ ,” Abi said. Leo smiled as nicely as he could, but it felt forced and awkward. “Oh, Leo.”

“Don’t  _ oh, Leo _ me. I’m trying.”

“You have a good smile. What is this nonsense?”

“This is my smile!” he defended.

“Okay, maybe not a smile, then,” the photographer said. “Just don’t actively frown.”

“I wasn’t actively frowning before,” he protested. 

“Maybe we’ll try something a bit more casual,” the photographer said. “Holden, can you take off your jacket, and Leo, you unbutton yours. We’re going to try to relax, so maybe you two won’t freeze up and look miserable.”

“I’m not miserable,” Holden said, and Leo suddenly heard where Jemma said his Holden-voice came from. 

“Could you tell your face that?” Abi asked playfully. Leo watched his adult father stick his tongue out at his adult mother, and then watched as she returned the gesture.

“You two are really mature. I’m so proud of you,” Leo commented. The photographer snapped photos without waiting, and both Leo and Holden paused to let him, but it felt wrong and awkward. He let out a sigh that Leo felt in his bones.

“Okay. Let’s try, let’s try,” the photographer said, trailing off. “Taking five. I need to think for a minute.”

Leo leaned back against the wall behind him, leaning one shoulder into Holden.

“Are you happy?” Holden asked quietly.

“I am,” Leo replied.

“Good. Jemma’s a wonderful girl. I’m glad she’s joining the family.”

“Me too.”

He tipped his head back so he could see his da’s face. Holden scrunched up his face at him, nose wrinkling and eyebrows pulling down. He used to make that face at Leo when he was in trouble with Abi for doing something like letting Leo play in his home lab. It always made Leo laugh no matter what, and that hadn’t changed even though he was an adult now. He smiled up at his da, and Holden smiled back at him. 

He knew that his mum had left her husband when she’d found out about him, that she was carrying Holden’s child, and that he might have had an entirely different life. He was almost Leopold Fitz, instead, and from what he had heard, Alistair Fitz was a garbage bastard of a man who had scared his mum enough that sometimes she still looked over her shoulder when they were out. But she’d run away, fetus Leo in her belly, to a safe place with Holden Radcliffe, and Leo had never known that kind of fear she’d carried with her. 

If he ever met Alistair Fitz, which was unlikely given what his da had told him, he wouldn’t hesitate to punch him square in his face for ever thinking he could hurt his mum. 

“Hey,” Leo said softly, “thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I know I don’t say it enough, and I definitely need to get you the world's best father’s day gift, but thank you. Mum made the right choice for both of us when she chose you.”

“Oh, Leo,” he replied, “you don’t have to thank me, and you don’t have to give me any gifts. You are the best father’s day gift I could have, you know. Well, I wouldn’t say no to one of those watches, with the phone in them.”

Leo couldn’t help bursting out laughing at that, and Holden followed suit, laughing side by side, Leo still leaned into him. 

“What’s so funny?” Abi asked.

“Nothing,” Holden said through chuckles. 

“Nothing at all,” Leo added through his own. She narrowed her eyes and set her hands on her hips. 

“That’s actually great,” he heard the photographer say. “I’ve got what I need.”

“You do?” Abi asked. “Are you sure?”

The photographer held out his camera to her and she stepped up beside him to look at the screen.

“Oh, those are sweet,” she said softly. “The last ones, obviously. The first ones are horrendous, but those last ones are my boys exactly.”

“Some people take better candids,” the photographer said. “One method is just to get people talking and they forget there’s a camera nearby.”

“Did we finally get some?” Jemma asked, walking over and standing next to Abi. Leo looked up at her, and sighed contentedly at his wife.

“We did!” Abi said excitedly. “I told you he’s good.”

“He is,” Jemma said, peeking over his shoulder at the screen. “I might not have to hide these ones behind the rest like we thought.”

Leo and Holden looked up at her, and simultaneously, with the exact same intonation and offense, said, “hey!”

**Author's Note:**

> So, this started because Alex and I thought that [this photoshoot](https://holdendadcliffe.tumblr.com/post/637266725391433728/1-800-contacts-voice-my-brand) looked like Leo and Holden struggling to take a good photo at Leo's wedding, and now here we are. :)  
> -k


End file.
